What's the best way to remove the old grease prior to re-packing the bearings?

One method that works well for me is to soak the bearings in Stoddard solvent if you can find it or Mineral Spirits then blow the old chunks of grease off the bearing with air. A small paint brush can aid as well. Do this for a few cycles changing the solvent to a fresh batch after the bearing looks clean.

Resist the urge to "spin" the bearing with the compressed air only move it with your fingers. Make sure to blow the air between the rollers until there is no longer grease coming out from around the grease seal. After the bearing is clean, blow off the bearing really well to dry it off ... then repack the bearing with grease.

Thanks John. My plan was to use mineral spirits, but was curious to know what others do when re-packing these bearings.

Now if I did this right here goes my first post. And yes I started an RV3 kit bought from behind Vans house before the RV4 was done.

When I worked on light AC we always used Stoddard solvent on them. Then were blow dried and packed either by hand or packing tool.

What my comment was about is spinning them with air, while they make a neat noise the results can be deadly. I was working part time in an auto shop and always told people who did bearings not to spin them.
I went back a few years later to visit co workers there and one told me about someone spinning the bearing with air, it sized up ripped one finger off. He managed to call 911, they got there in time to save his life before he lost too much blood. He did loose that finger just a thought.

They also said when I was in aircraft mechanics school that even spinning a bearing by had the force generated could cause them to explode, took there word for it, and doing it dry could damage the bearing causing failure.

Thanks Boyd. It might be your first VAF post, but if you bought an RV3 kit made by Van himself at his house, you've been around RVs far longer than I have. I'm impressed! Thanks for the tip. I had read that bad things could happen if you spin bearings up with compressed air, but losing a finger would really ruin your day.

Yes was a builder long ago saw the RV5 sitting in the weeds there that had half a VW for power and was a pop rivet experiment I was told. Flew into his new place by the highway a few times to pick up parts. He gave the two of us a sneak preview of the RV6 being built there, showed us an RV3 he bought that had a few problems. Figured out after buying a second 3 that was, um, ready to hang the engine and fly that I didn't like the small cockpit so sold both. I read this forum every day and have for about ten years I guess. Only RV ride I got was with the fellow who gives instruction in his 6 up around Portland years back at Prosser WA.

Have a wonderful day am located under the RV highway to the mother ship in Chiloquin OR. Boyd

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